When Logan returns, he doesn’t think much of the photo until a fateful day when his best friend is killed in an accident that should have also killed him. That’s when he makes up his mind… he must find the woman in the photo.

His journey leads him across the country, on foot, with his dog to a small South Carolina town where he finds Beth, the woman in the photo. He begins working at the family’s dog training/grooming business and tries to tell Beth why he came, but never gets it out.

He becomes close to Beth, her grandmother and her son, but his secret taunts him and eventually comes to light starting a war that may be bigger than the ones he fought as a soldier.

I have been a Sparks fan for a while, dating back to The Notebook days, which made its way across Europ with me. I remember riding on our chartered bus, always wearing my sunglasses to hide my tears. Since then, I’ve read a few Nicholas Sparks books, but never keep up with new releases. I saw the preview for The Lucky One when I went to watch the Hunger Games and knew I had to read the book quickly to catch the film release. I would love to see how book sales went up when the previews for this movie started. The book has been out since 2008, and I’m sure it did well with the Sparks faithfuls when it was released, but I guarantee the numbers skyrocketed with the ads.

Once I started the book, not meeting the release date wasn’t something I had to worry about. I started it one weekend and had it done before the weekend ended. I couldn’t put it down! I had to know what happened with Logan and Beth. It also helped that everytime I saw Logan’s name in the book, I thought of Zac Efron *Swoon*.

I never thought I was a girl to love love stories and I don’t choose them off the shelves very often, but every now and then, a good love story is just what I need and Nicholas Sparks can always do the trick. How he writes such an amazing love story, I’ll never know.

I have seen some reviews about this book being “predictable” and that kind of shocks me. 1. You kind of know what you are getting into when you pick up a love story. Don’t you want the predictable to happen and the couple to fall madly in love? If that’s not what you are looking for, then you are not going to pick up a love story. 2. While the first 300 or so pages are a smidge predictable because you’ve read the back cover and have seen the preview to the movie, the last dozen pages are anything but predictable and you have to read until the very end to find out how everything turns out. I always hate seeing the word “predictable” with a negative tone. If you don’t want predictable, go for a genre that you aren’t used to and try something new.

So I loved the book. I loved the story line and thought it was very creative. I loved the characters, for the most part, and felt like I could connect with them in some way, shape or form. I really liked Logan in the book (even if I wouldn’t have imagined him as Zac Efron, I would have liked him). Sparks did a great job building his story out and going from the present to the past. I thought all of the characters did well at playing their roles in the book and worked well together, even the jerk that Beth’s ex was.

I give the book 5 bookmarks and think that I need to kee

The movie however really surprised me! I also really liked it, but it was only loosely based on the book. I thought both of them stood well alone, but you have to remember when going into a theater that the book and the movie, no matter what they are, will not be word for word or scene for scene. There are things you have to jazz up for the big screen and things you have to cut out to save on time. In the movie version of The Lucky One things were definitely different, but it worked. Logan does find a picture, does go to meet Beth, and the characters are the same, but that’s about it. There are lots of scenes that were left out and lots of others that were added in. I give the movie a 4 out of 5 rating, just because I liked the book better. but seeing Zac Efron for two hours wasn’t bad either

Did you read the book or see the movie? If so, what did you think when comparing/contrasting them? Which one did you like better?

Amazon B&N Goodreads
Released: September 30, 2008
Author Website

But then Em gets a letter from her aunt, inviting her to spend the summer on the beach. Em didn’t even know she had an aunt and her mom and grandmother are very stern and secretive when asked. Em decides for once in her life that she is going to do what she wants rather than what is expected and will have the summer of her life learning more in a month than she has in 18 years.

Along the way she meets a cute boy, finally gets to cook as she pleases and learns a deep dark family secret that will change her life forever.

Shannon Greenland has written an awesome kickoff to summer book! It’s fun and summery and there’s love and secrets and a B&B! Who doesn’t love a B&B? That’s actually one of the things that I am so in love with about this book. Since watching Gilmore Girls for years, I fell in love with bed and breakfasts. They are so charming and unique. I’ve never stayed in one, but it’s on my list of things to do. Excited list, huh?

From the beginning of this book, I was one with Em. She grew up in a good family, worked hard and as a teenager was preparing for her future. My parents weren’t nearly as strict as Em’s and with help a little guidance, they let me make all of my big decisions from school to career and job. But I understand where Em is coming from. She has a name to live up to and wants to succeed. Failure is not an option in her family. There are very high expectations and she will meet them, because that’s who she is. She will go into law because that is what is expected of her, although her passion is cooking. Growing up, other than sports, I never really had a passion that I had to put down to pursue a career. At this stage in my life, I would love to write and open a little shop and do crafts for a living, but like Em feels, that is not really an option.

This is definitely a book about following your heart and following your passion no matter what road is already paved ahead of you. Granted, it may cause some heartache and you may no make it, there is no guarantee you will fail unless you don’t try.

This book has kind of given me a little hope this spring. I’ve been writing for a couple of years now and have been sending out letters to agents, with no luck. But this book urged to keep the fire going and even work on some of my other passions, like crafts and knitting and see where they take me.

This is a great book for teenage girls who are trying to find their way in life and figure out who exactly they are and who they want to be as women.

I give The Summer My Life Began 5 bookmarks.

Stop back by tomorrow to see my interview with Shannon!

Amazon B&N Goodreads
Released:
Author Website
Kari got this book as part of a blog tour 

When tragedy strikes, Michael must face his darkest fear and fight a battle of his own—for everything that matters to his family. At once a profoundly honest look at modern marriage and a dramatic exploration of the toll war takes on an ordinary American family, Home Front is a story of love, loss, heroism, honor, and ultimately, hope.

Man Kristin Hannah sure knows how to write an awesome book and every single one of them I read/listen to proves this even more. In every Hannah book I have read/listened to, there has always been an awesome female lead, or two. Her books always push the limits on friendship, strength, family and even life. They are always tear jerkers and always make you sit back and think, whether it be about making sure your marriage doesn’t take the same path as one that is troubled in these novels, or whether you would make the same life altering decisions that some of these characters had to make. If I can relate to a book in any way, shape or form and it makes me think about my life at any time, I am in.

Now when it comes to relating, I have not much of anything in common with Jolene in this book and I mean throughout the entire book. Her parents died, she became a soldier, she spends her days flying helicopters and taking care of her children, she and her husband have a very strained relationship….oh and she goes overseas to fight in a war. So, as I said, nothing in common. But I felt a very strong connection with her. She is such a strong woman that you cannot help but admire her and then when “tragedy strikes” it completely changes and you have already grown so close to her that you want nothing more than that strong wall to crumble.

Jolene isn’t the only one your heart breaks for. Michael is a working man. He spends several hours a day at the office and a couple of hours a day on the road to and from work. He gets home late and really has no idea what all his wife goes through on a daily basis. I am not saying this to be biased about a woman’s job at home. This proves to be true and Michael admits it when he becomes the mom and dad of the household when his wife fights for freedom. I think there is much to be said about a man who can learn and grow and that is exactly what Michael does in this book and my heart grows for him throughout it.

We have all seen the commercials and news stories about soldiers leaving or coming home. You may even know a family or two who has been through this. But since this isn’t something I see often in my personal life, I don’t necessarily think about the mothers going overseas and leaving their children behind. This book definitely opened my eyes to a world that I have heard about, but have not seen with my own eyes or heard first hand. Although I know this is fiction, it was so real and so heartbreaking, you can’t help but want to hug a soldier when you are done.

I give Home Front 5 bookmarks.

Amazon B&N Goodreads 
Released: January 31, 2012
Author Website
Kari got this audio book from the Bossard Memorial Library

I have been fawning over this cover forever. We all know I am a cover girl and how can a book be bad when the cover has a lipstick sash representing bullets?

I picked this audio book up at the library a while back and am so glad I chose this format. While I think I would have liked it in a paper format, I loved it in the audio format. It was so creative. There were scenes between chapters that were played out like commercials (I got tired of them after a while and found myself skipping through them, but it was a very cool idea). I also liked that between the chapters there were little Fact Sheets that each contestant filled out so we could learn a little more about them. And I always like the idea of footnotes, but lately have not been so into reading them. It’s been hard with books on my Nook, and I’m not sure how these are laid out in the regular book, but in the audio book, I loved them. When it was time for a footnote, you heard a ding, followed by the note. At first I was really confused, but then after a few chapters, hearing the ding excited me. It worked very well!

I think this is a GREAT book for teenagers. It covers every contrversial topic that teens face right now, from sexism, racism and homosexuality to being popular and just being yourself. Although I’m a few years removed from the teen dreamers, I felt like in one way, shape or form, I could relate with their issues. Obviously not the being on the island and fighting for survival, but the underlying issues that brought them all to the pageant in the first place.

This book will have you laughing (lots), crying (a little), and hoping more than anything that these girls who are all different walks of life can come together and battle through and survive this tragic crash.

I give Beauty Queens 5 bookmarks. 

Amazon B&N Goodreads
Released: May 24, 2011
Author Website
Kari got this audio book from the Bossard Memorial Library

As Lucy questions her beliefs about love, loyalty, and old patterns, mistakes, and new beginnings, she explores the possibility that some things in life – even after are being broken – can be re-made into something beautiful. And that is the only by discovering who you really are that you can find the one who truly deserves you.

This book is magical, seriously! Something happens when Lucy works with glass and it’s magic. It’s one of those things that makes you really think about your life and your job. Granted, the magic that happens with Lucy is a little far fetched, don’t we all hope that our job brings magic into our lives in some way, shape or form? It really gets you thinking.

I love the love story in this book. It starts with heartbreak as Kevin breaks up with Lucy to date her sister. What a horrible break up. But as always with love stories, it ends up being the best thing that could happen to her! Especially with a hot vineyard owner now in her sights. Some may say this book is predictable, but when it comes to love stories, do we really care? Don’t we all want our leading ladies and gents to fall in love in the end and have a happy ending?

I give Rainshadow Road 4 bookmarks.

Amazon B&N Goodreads
Released: February 28, 2012
Author Website
Kari got this audio book from the Bossard Memorial Library